Tomb Raider: Let the Rain Fall
by macmoosie
Summary: Short Story; Lara gets a call from an old friend telling her he may have found the ancient artifact to finding her mother. It isn't what it seems, and Lara gets some news she wasn't prepared for. Rated T for violence. Read and Review, please!


Disclaimer: I do not own Tomb Raider or Lara Croft, nor am I affiliated with Eidos or Crystal Dynamics in anyway. I do own the original characters, however.

Rating: T for violence

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Let the Rain Fall

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This morning, after running my bath, I had a call from an old friend. My butler, Hillary had written down the call-back number on a piece of paper by the telephone for me. When I was finished, I threw on my purple silk pajama outfit and headed to the study.

Sitting at the desk, I checked my emails, and I had one from Anaya Imanu, my old friend from Le Paz. She just wanted to see how everything was going. I smiled at my response as I typed and sent my reply.

I strummed my fingers along the desk in synchronization with my heartbeat. I picked up the phone, putting the receiver to my ear. Hearing the dial tone, I entered the numbers on the sticky note and listened to the ringing. Three rings later, the hoarse voice of an old friend spoke on the other line.

"Hello, Lara."

"Alexander, it's been too long. How have you been?"

"I've been well, and yourself?"

I hesitated a moment, "I've been fine, thanks."

"Lara, I called to inform you", he paused a moment, "I may have a lead on the Mayan Halo Ring you've been searching for. A fellow archaeologist, James West has been on the study under my orchestration and we may have found the coordinates to it's estimated location."

"That's wonderful news.", I stated happily, "Would it be too much to request a meet with Mr. West?"

"It's already set. If it's alright with you, he'll meet you at the Adega Restaurant in Surrey tomorrow night at 9pm. Black tie affair."

"That's wonderful. Thank you."

"My pleasure, Lara. Good night."

"Good night."

I put down the phone and leaned back in my chair. Crossing my arms, I smiled to myself. I'll have to find something formal for tomorrow's festivities.

The next morning, I woke up around 10am. That's what I get for staying up late. I climbed out of bed, laying the sheets over neatly, and went to the bathroom for a morning shower.

I emerged refreshed and awake, ready to start the day. I threw on some casual clothes; a pair of dark blue jeans and a white button up shirt. Putting my hair in a ponytail, I went to the kitchen for a bit of breakfast. I wasn't that hungry, so I put together a glass of cranberry juice and a few slices of toast.

Heading to the foyer, I made a quick stop to the nearest bathroom to brush my teeth. Hillary was sitting in the armchair, reading a book. He flipped the page and continued reading - he hadn't noticed my entry.

"Good morning.", I said, sitting down across from him.

"Morning, Lara.", he replied, setting down the book, "Did you return the call I left you?"

"That I did, last night. It seems we may have a lead on the Mayan Halo Ring. I'm meeting one of Alexander's associates tonight at the Adega restaurant on South."

"You don't trust him, do you?"

"No", I replied seriously, "I don't. Which is why I'll be on my toes tonight. I have a strange feeling that it isn't what it seems."

"When is it ever?"

"Too true."

I got up and headed to the tech room. I sat at one of the computers, riddled with sticky notes and read the documentations on the Mayan Halo Ring. It was an ancient artifact, rumored to be located deep in the Mayan underworld. It holds the key to Avalon, and it may allow me to find my mother.

It seems to good to be true, but I've seen far too many audacities to think otherwise. I suppose I'll have to prepare myself for the worst and hope this may be legit. With my past experiences with Alexander, I have no reason to trust him, but I don't let him know that. Not yet, anyway.

As the day went on, 9pm neared every minute. At around 8pm, I went back to my bedroom wardrobe to find an outfit for the event. I decided on a similar black dress to the one I wore to meet Takamoto in Japan. I picked out my favorite pair of black stiletto heels and a black purse, and went over to my secret inventory under my bed. I put my dual Heckler and Koch USP Match handguns in the purse, and grabbed my cell phone from the desk, and put it with the guns.

Making my way out of the manor, I said goodbye to Hillary who wished me luck. I headed to the garage and grabbed the keys for the Audi R8 and got inside. I primped myself before leaving, putting on a light lipstick and blush before pulling out into the pathway and out of the manor grounds.

About five minutes later, I pulled up outside of the restaurant and surveilled the area before heading inside. I spotted Mr. West at a table near the center of the room and smiled, very carefully. He stood up as I walked over and kissed my hand.

"Lara Croft, it's great to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine.", I replied, sitting down.

He ordered a bottle of Clos du Marquis, one of my lesser favorites, but I had to admit it was good. Pouring me half a glass first, I took a sip and put the glass back down. I winced at the taste, as I was not used to it, but I enjoyed it the second time.

"I was told that you may have a lead on the Mayan Halo Ring?", I finally asked.

"Yes. Upon a discovery of a tomb in Australia, related to the Mayan calendar, I found coordinates engraved in the wall, leading to a tomb in Maya. I have reason to believe it could be the home of the Ring."

I nodded briefly before eating some of the pasta I had ordered. It was delicious, the Alfredo sauce was perfect. I sensed something wrong, so I instantly put down my fork, picked up the knife and slowly put it under the table. I cut a line up both sides of my dress to my thigh to give me room. Putting the knife back on the table, I noticed Mr. West's hands go under the table.

Suddenly, I heard the familiar sound of a handgun slide being cocked. I sighed in disappointment. He knew I knew and smirked, giving me a look telling me the gun was trained on my stomach.

Instantly, I kicked the table upward, jumping over my chair, taking cover behind the table behind me. James West fired into the air to evacuate the restaurant, giving me time to remove my dual handguns and get ready.

"Not so hard now, are you?", he mocked, making his way toward the table.

I tossed a wine glass beside him, creating a diversion. He fell for it, giving me time to cross over two tables to the right. He headed to my previous location, and I snuck behind him.

I slammed my pistol onto his neck, knocking him to the floor. I leaned over him, kicking the gun away.

"What the hell is going on?", I demanded an answer, placing my gun to his neck.

"I never found the coordinates. Alexander wanted me to kill you, before you found out."

"Found out what?"

He didn't speak until I pressed my gun down harder.

"Find out what?!"

"That Amanda Evert is trying to beat you to it."

I gasped in surprise and my eyes filled with anger. I stood up and began to walk away. He reached for the gun and aimed it at me. I turned around and shot him twice, before leaving the restaurant. I tossed my purse and guns in the car, but not before removing my cell phone.

I leaned against the car and dialed my home number. Hillary answered, knowing it was me.

"How did it go?"

"As I expected - a façade. Amanda is back, and she's trying to beat me to the artifact."

"Don't worry, Lara. We'll find a lead soon."

"I hope so."

I hung up and crossed my arms. The clouds in the sky darkened and it began to drizzle. I stood in silence, trying to hold back my emotions. There was nothing left to do but let the rain fall.

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What did you think? Please review! I enjoyed writing this one, hopefully you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it.


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